Improvement in splitting and bundling wood



0. ROELECKE. SPLITTING AND BUNDLING WOOD.

No. 195,651, Patented Sept.25,1877

FETERS, PNOTO-UTNDGRAPHER WASH NGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR ROELEOKE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPLITTING AND BUNDLING WOOD.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,651, datedSeptember 25, 1877 application filed July 2, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OsoAR ROELECKE, of Baltimore, in the county ofBaltimore and State of Maryland, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Machines for Splitting Kindling-Wood, which is fully setforth in the following specification and accompanying drawing.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, effective, andinexpensive machine for domestic or household use, by which fire-woodthat has been previously cut into suitable lengths may be split intosticks suitable for kindling fires.

Figure l is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a transverseview. Fig. 3 is a plan view of top ring or frame. Fig. 4 is a plan viewof middle ring or frame. Fig. 5 is a plan view of lower ring or frame.

In the drawing, A B 0 represent metal rings or frames of differentsizes, placed one above the other, the smallest being on top and thelargest at the bottom, and are secured together. The interior space fromthe bottom upward is tapering, as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 1.The ring or frame A has one knife or splitter, c, secured across themiddle, the cutting-edge being up. The ring or frame B has let in orsecured to it from its upper side two knives with edges parallel to theupper knife, and from its lower side has let in or secured to it threeknives with edges in the transverse direction, or at right angles to theknives above.

The ring or frame 0, in the present example, does not contain anyknives, and in prac' tice, when thus made, it would be possible todispense with the lower ring or frame; but I do not confine my inventionto this construction, as in practice I sometimes insert the three lowerknives in the ring or frame 0.

The crank d is attached to a short shaft, d,

turning in suitable bearings, and has keyed thereon a spur-wheel, d,which gears into the teeth on a vertical sliding rack, 0, having a cap,f, formed on or secured to its upper end.

The part or body containing the knives may be secured to the wall insome convenient place by the bolt-holes i; or it may be sustained by astand or suitable frame, and thus be portable.

The operation of the machine is as follows: By means of the crank thecap f is raised until the piece of wood to be split. can be placedendwise on the upper knife, and the cap is then lowered, forcing thewood down, the first knife splitting it in the center, and the twoknives next below splitting it again, thus making four pieces, which arethen split transversely by the three lower knives, whereby sixteensticks of kindling may be made from one piece of wood.

It will be seen that, as the split end spreads and passes through, itsincreased bulk is accommodated by the enlargement of the interior at thelower end.

As it is manifest my machine would operate in substantially the samemanner were the rings or frames A B 0 square instead of round in theinterior space, I do not limit my invention and claims to a round orcircular interior space.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent- 1. In a kindling-wood splitter, the rings or frames A B, thesmallest being uppermost, with knives secured therein, as described, andwith the interior space tapering from the bottom upward.

2. In a machine for splitting kindling-wood, the rings or frames A B,having knives secured therein with cutting-edges up, and thevertically-sliding rack 0, having cap f, operated by the spur-wheel d"and crank d, substantially as shown and described.

OSCAR ROELEOKE.

Witnesses:

U. L. BUDDENBOHN, M. D., E. ALBEEoHT.

